title: Relation of epicardial fat thickness and brachial flow-mediated vasodilation with coronary artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to investigate the presence of a statistical association between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and coronary artery disease (CAD) and between flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and CAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the EFT and FMD in 64 subjects with suspected stable angina pectoris. The patients were separated into two groups according to their coronary angiography results: 34 patients with CAD and 30 patients with normal coronary arteries (NCA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  EFT was significantly higher in the patients with CAD than the NCA group (6.43 ± 0.90 mm vs. 5.35 ± 0.75 mm, p<0.001) while FMD was significantly lower in the patients with CAD than those in the NCA group (6.41 ± 2.51% vs. 8.33 ± 3.45%, p=0.015). No significant correlation was found between EFT and FMD. After adjustment for EFT, FMD, age, sex, ejection fraction, glucose, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol through multivariate logistic regression analysis, EFT (odds ratio: 6.325, 95% confidence interval 2.289-17.476, p<0.001) and age (odds ratio: 1.093, 95% confidence interval 1.008-1.185, p=0.032) remained significant predictors of CAD. A cut-off value of EFT≥5.8mm predicted the presence of CAD with 77% sensitivity and 70% specificity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An echocardiographic EFT assessment is independently associated with the presence of CAD. Thus, EFT may be helpful in cardiometabolic risk stratification and therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey. Electronic address: dr_hasankaya@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ertaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oylumlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Zihni
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Bilik
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdulkadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yıldız
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nihat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Acet
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Işık
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Sıddık
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ülgen
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D060050:Angina, Stable / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Coronary artery disease; Epicardial fat thickness; Flow-mediated vasodilation